Today, the sail-like, cable-stayed bridge that serves as an iconic backdrop to Savannah and a dramatic Lowcountry portal into Georgia is named the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge.

That might not be the case much longer.

The nearly 2-mile bridge that spans the Savannah River at a height of 185 feet seems destined for a new name almost exactly 22 years after it opened.

Members of the Chatham County delegation to the General Assembly this week expect to recommend a new name for the bridge, an act that will go a long way toward ending a debate that has raged since before the bridge was completed in 1991 at a cost of $71 million.

“We met on (Feb. 21), and there seems to be pretty much a consensus to move the name to the Savannah Bridge or the Savannah River Bridge,” said Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah. “It just seems to make more sense to attach the name to a location or a destination and not a person.”

The new name, decided by a majority vote of the delegation, would be drafted into a bill that would have to be approved in the House and Senate and would need the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal before the state Department of Transportation would make the change.

“Amongst each other, I think everybody in the delegation agrees the name should be changed,” said Rep. J. Craig Gordon, D-Savannah. “Hopefully it’s something we can pass through in this session. We’ve only got 18 days left, but I feel by all of us working together, we can make it happen.”

The debate over the bridge’s name has raged for nearly a quarter-century. It has involved polarizing public figures, political subterfuge, confusion, simmering undercurrents of race and issues of local rule.

At its essence, the debate concerns the relatively simple task of naming a bridge. This task, however, has been anything but simple.

The debate has included elements of self-determinism, with many Savannahians believing political forces elsewhere in the state imposed the Talmadge name on the bridge without any regard for the preferences of the local citizenry, which at the time of the bridge’s opening largely seemed to embrace the name as The Great Savannah Bridge.

It has involved the city’s grasp of history, with many here making the case that a structure so tied to the international image of the city should bear a name that reflects the city’s colonial past.

Finally, for many, the debate has included a redemptive quality entwined in a belief that one of the city’s most iconic structures should cease to memorialize the bitter angels of the Jim Crow past that sat squarely on the shoulders of the race-baiting, white supremacist who was Eugene Talmadge.

“What I’ve been telling people on this issue is that I’m ABT — Anybody But Talmadge,” said Stan Deaton, senior historian at the Georgia Historical Society. “In 1953, there may have been all kinds of reasons to honor Eugene Talmadge. I’m not sure there are in 2013.

“There are plenty of other people who speak to Georgia’s past better than he does, who represent all of us better.”

Deaton’s guest commentary in the Feb. 10 edition of the Savannah Morning News, in which he made the case for renaming the bridge for Georgia founder James Edward Oglethorpe, seemed to be the tinder that reignited the most recent public debate about changing the name of the bridge.

In the following two weeks, several letters to the editor from other individuals reflected the continuing discussion throughout the city.

Some backed the idea of honoring Oglethorpe. Others offered up Tomochichi, the American Indian chief who befriended Oglethorpe and helped the original settlers craft America’s 13th colony.

Retired Maj. Gen. Leroy M. Suddath Jr. takes it a step further, taking up the historical banner by calling for the Oglethorpe-Tomochichi Bridge.

“Both of them are co-founders of Savannah in a sense, and they stand for cooperation and for everybody benefiting,” Suddath said. “Oglethorpe was the founder of Savannah, and Tomochichi made it possible by befriending Oglethorpe. We didn’t have any problems with the Indians. They welcomed us here.”

That open discussion, as well as a flurry of emails and phone calls to members of the Chatham County delegation imploring them to take up the cause of renaming the bridge, was pure populism in action.

“It’s amazing,” said Rep. Bob Bryant, D-Garden City. “I read an article in the paper and the next day everything started. I got at least 20 emails, and I assume the other representatives got as many email requests as I did.

“That tells me people are concerned.”

There was action on the city level as well.

The same day the Chatham County legislators met, Savannah alderman John Hall offered a resolution to the city’s aldermen calling on the local delegation to initiate the legislative process for renaming the bridge in honor of Oglethorpe.

Informed that the legislators are leaning more toward renaming the bridge for a destination or location, Hall made it clear he would not oppose that as long as it gets Talmadge’s name off the bridge.

“If they want to go that route, that is fine with me,” Hall said. “I wouldn’t object. I just think this needs to happen. I hope we can move quickly and get this done.”

Savannah Mayor Edna Jackson concurred, saying she strongly supports the renaming of the bridge, even if it is named the Savannah Bridge or the Savannah River Bridge.

“That’s fine with me,” Jackson said. “Savannah is a destination city. It’s the gateway to our community, as well as the gateway between South Carolina and Georgia.

“If we have to bring it back to City Council that we can come to some consensus between either Oglethorpe or Savannah Bridge.”

She said her primary motive for renaming the bridge is to strip away the Talmadge name and legacy.

“I’ve always called it ‘the new bridge’,” she said. “I’ve never referred to it as the Talmadge Bridge because that’s an insult to the African-American community. I came up through the civil rights era, and I know how we were referred to by Talmadge.”

This debate wouldn’t be complete without at least one last dose in the long, confusing history of whether the bridge was ever formally named for Talmadge or whether the name just passed over from the previous bridge it replaced.

Reps. Stephens and Bryant said their understanding is the Talmadge naming had never been formally enacted by the state transportation department.

But Natalie Dale, a transportation department spokeswoman, said the official name for the bridge is indeed the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge.

“That’s a miscommunication on their behalf,” Dale said. “There are signs. We don’t just put up signs. If there are signs, the bridge is named.”

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the same thing to Hartsfield airport,now calling it Hartsfield-Jackson. I don't see why some people think it's OK to change the name of something when it is named after someone already. Mayor Jackson should be more concerned about the dumps they call "The Projects" and the crime committed by the people who live in them.

Isnt there bigger things to spend time and money on ? Like a 13 yr old getting shot while spending the night at his grandmothers house ? I think I would get the crime capital of the south name off the map first.

Talmadge owned slaves!!! Talmadge is no longer a symbol of a progressive Savannah. We want to move forward! Calling it Savannah Bridge or the Savannah River Bridge is a good step in the right direction. Who cares what Atlanta did? And NO we don't want to rename all the squares - how silly! And don't be ridiculous, we certainly don't want to name anything after Jivins.

What will it take to get some folks to MOVE FORWARD towards reuniting Savannah!! I am tired of this racial rhetoric that doesn't get us anything other than just MAD and further divided.

Talmadge owned slaves!!! Talmadge is no longer a symbol of a progressive Savannah. We want to move forward! Calling it Savannah Bridge or the Savannah River Bridge is a good step in the right direction. Who cares what Atlanta did? And NO we don't want to rename all the squares - how silly! And don't be ridiculous, we certainly don't want to name anything after Jivins.

What will it take to get some folks to MOVE FORWARD towards reuniting Savannah!! I am tired of this racial rhetoric that doesn't get us anything other than just MAD and further divided.

This race thing must really burn you to the core. It's obvious that you do your homework in digging up what blacks are doing. If blacks were doing the same(and there is a lot to dig up), you'd be hell bent on exposing them as racist. Instead of further dividing the citizens of this city with such covert and overt attacks, why not post something or give praise to both black and white citizens when they come together for the good of the city.

It amazes me that Eugene Talmadge name ever appeared on anything in Savannah. But, I must go back and remember that the bridge was named when it was "there turn." Well, the tides have turned, "it's our turn now." The brige will be renamed....get over it!!!!

It was my understanding that this bridge was renamed years ago, I thought it was named The Gateway to Savannah.

I'm all for renaming the Talmadge Bridge, what I am against is an ignorant remark like "Talmadge owned slaves." Eugene Talmadge wasn't even born until twenty years after the "Uncivil" war. But what if he did own slaves, so did George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant. If that offends you so much send me all your one and fifty dollar bills. Speaking of remarks, it is "Their time" now, not it is "There time" now.

Based on the column today about "black" history and some of the remarks here, maybe the bridge should be called "Reparations Bridge."

Surely there are much more important things that need legislative attention. How about looking for ways to cut spending instead of adding to spending.
If you can't find something that needs to be done, I'd suggest you resign and go home!

It is her contention that all white people are racist. How can that be? Do we not have all sorts of elected officials that are black. Did not many white people die trying to free the black people in this country? If we whites are as racist as she says, shouldn't she and all black people still be slaves? They didn't free themselves, they didn't pass civil rights laws. As bad as this sounds, if all white people were racist, wouldn't Marilyn Jackson be hung for speaking out? I contend that without good and decent white people, the blacks would still be in bondage.

I thought the bridge should have been renamed when the old one was torn down, I had no respect for any of the Talmedges, they ripped off the people of Georgia, and yes, they were not only racist, but thought they were better and smarter than anyone else.

Ms. Jackson.....that was ancient history and if you are still grinding that ax of "slavery" and the past, then please answer me these questions:
1) Did Africans also participated in the slave trade...ie: capture their own to sell as slaves? the answer is yes in case you are unaware of choose to ignore FACTS.
2) I ( nor a lot of people ) was not alive to tell my forefathers that this was not a good ideal ( slavery), so why still hold it above other people's head. Can you not use another argument or cause for your "witchhunt"?

With all the talk about renaming the Talmadge Bridge, here is my two cents worth. Why not the Florence Martus Bridge? Florence Martus was the Waving Girl. She was known for welcoming and saying goodby to Savannah River mariners for over 40 years. In a way that is what the bridge does now.